Tuesday, 17 April 2018

Prepping My Skin For Summer | Vegan & Cruelty Free

Is it too early to start talking and thinking about Summer!? Well if our Spring weather is anything to go by then yes it probably is! But if we're talking about prepping our skin for the Summer then no, not at all. Now is most definitely the time to start thinking about your Summer skincare routine. And, if like me, you have holidays planned to hotter destinations then you'll really want to consider how best to prep your skin for the exposure to sunshine. Remember the sun!? That big, bright, hot and yellow thing in the sky!? It seems like a distant memory doesn't it.

Anyway, the only thing getting me through this Spring is knowing that I have a couple of trips coming up, one to Ibiza in May and another one to Mykonos in June, and I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to basking in the heat and hopefully getting a little tan along the way. And one way I like to ensure that my skin is in perfect condition for gaining a long lasting tan is by exfoliating regularly.

I was recently sent this gorgeous tub of body polish from Tropic and it really couldn't have arrived at a better time. In fact it was the arrival of this that got me started on my Summer skincare prep and thinking more about how I want to take care of my skin this Summer.

This body polish is an amazing blend of citrusy essential oils, rich sea salts and pure plant extracts. I've started to use it around three to four times a week and I find it so easy to use and fit into my routine. I simply take a small handful and rub all over my body directly onto dry skin before getting into the shower in the morning. Once I am in the shower the scrub rinses away leaving behind the essential oils on my skin, which I then massage in to ensure that all important post scrub moisturisation.

I have been blown away by how well this body polish is working for me and the fact that it has added moisturising properties is just perfect. If I'm feeling a little on the lazy side and unable to give myself a full body moisturise after my shower then it's not a problem because the essential oils in this product have already done the hard work! My skin has felt the softest and smoothest it has felt in a long time and it's been so effective at working away all my dry skin patches.

Aside from all of that, how cute is the packaging? I adore the glass jar container that it comes in and the little wooden spoon makes a really cute but useful additional touch.

Now, if I'm not feeling lazy and I have some time to spend on a full body moisturising session, then maybe about once a week I take the time to give my skin an extra dose of hydration. Its definitely not something I'd have the time to faff around with every day but it is something I enjoy as a little home pampering when I can just lay on my bed and wait for the moisture to soak in without rushing things.

I tend to mix up my body moisturisers quite often and I can't really say I have an all time favourite go to product at the moment, but one that I am really liking lately is this Original Herbal Body Moisturizer by Hempz. First off it smells gorgeous and has a really summery scent to it which they refer to as 'floral and banana'. But for anyone who hates bananas, don't worry it doesn't really strike me as banana smelling, instead more of a tropical vibe.

The combination of shea butter and ginseng really help to calm and soothe and, as its name would suggest, this product is enriched with 100% hemp seed oil.

I have fallen in love with this moisturiser because it is just so light and applies like a dream. It also has absolutely no after stickiness or residue which is always a big bug bare of mine when it comes to body creams. You'll have no issue in putting on all of your clothes after using this!

As well as exfoliating your body, I also think it's really important to regularly exfoliate your face for a deeper clean and to ensure your skin looks bright and free from dry patches. You may have seen that I recently invested in quite a few products from the Dermalogica range in a bid to target some problematic areas on my face. One product which has really stood out to me has been their Multivitamin Thermofoliant which I honestly don't think I could live without now.

I use this exfoliator probably around four times a week on my face and when I am cleansing my skin in the morning in the shower. Not only has this really helped to tackle some spotty areas I've been struggling with, but my face has seriously never felt so bright and smooth. It has been a dream come true, especially during the cold months when my face has really needed a little extra boost.

This is a great all year round product and one I shall continue to use but I am especially glad I have started with it in the lead up to the Summer because I know it will help my face to achieve a lovely sun kissed look with zero dry patches when I am on holiday.

Foot Pumicing

One thing I always notice once we come out of the colder months, and when I find myself reaching for flip flops again, is that my feet usually have a build up of dead skin. It sounds gross, and well it is really, but I am sure it is something that we all suffer with. To be honest I only really start to take note of my feet again when I am ready to ditch the socks and have them on display again.

I always find that pumicing my feet post shower or bath is the perfect time to really make a dent in the dead skin as it comes away with such ease. This is something I've been trying to do at least twice a week lately to ensure that my feet are looking pretty for the Summer.

Finally, the last thing that I am doing to help my skin feeling and looking good is taking a supplement. I've been using the True Vit Pure Biotin supplement recently which is designed to help your hair, skin and nails all look and feel healthier. I'm not sure yet if they will make any difference but I'm giving them a go!

What do you do to prep your skin for the Summer?

* Some of the products featured within this post were sent to me by the brands.